Through devotion to St. Jude, we become profoundly aware of the gifts of hope and healing he provides as our patron and intercessor. By exercising our devotional muscle, we can apply a similar strength to developing a more regular awareness of the gift of grace in our lives.
In some of the same ways in which we are disciplined in our devotion to St. Jude, we can become disciplined at looking for, accepting, and appreciating gifts of grace from God.
Our prayer of “St. Jude, pray for us” is so simple and natural that it often becomes a part of the flow of thoughts we have in the course of our days and the arc of our lives. Whenever we turn to St. Jude and invoke hope and help in this way, we can also consider these moments an opportunity to simply rest in that gift from God. A deep breath with no specific thought, just an awareness of His presence within, invites us to recognize His grace at work through us.
We spend a lot of time waiting—in lines, on hold, for someone who is running late (again!). Even in these moments we can focus our minds and spirits gently to God. Brief moments are perfectly good. He is already there waiting for us. He has given us the grace we need to accomplish our spiritual goals; it is up to us to recognize, accept, and act on this continual gift.
Our patron asks us to share our prayers for intercession by offering them together with others, as we do through the National Shrine, and in turn to share the hope of St. Jude with others. We do this every time we offer prayer for someone in need, or pray in gratitude for blessings, or bring the light of hope to any situation we encounter—regardless of whether it’s a challenge or a blessing. God gives us the grace to practice our devotion so we might amplify His love.
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